Fresh and Evergreen
by Divalier
Summary: It takes alot to throw away the human inside. Machiko was trying, Da-treyu had done it. But the true test comes at the killing of a Human. And the hunting that would change both of their lives.
1. Prolog: One Who Does Not Belong

Prolog: one who does not belong

Nogoushi had just about decided to call the unnamed yautja "Sakana," the Japanese word for "fish", when Topknot suddenly appeared at the mouth of the tunnel back to the main part of the ship. Half a dozen novices trailed behind him, their speckled chests heaving with excitement. Loincloths only were the standard dress or the trainees; blooded generally wore chest harnesses as well, for which she was continually thankful. She didn't think the yautja wouldn't be aroused in any way by her nudity, but she was still human enough to feel some modesty.

Topknot and his followers lined up behind Tress and Sakana, the Leader speaking quickly, apparently wrapping up a speech he'd been at for a while. Nogoushi stepped away from the dark corner, gleaning as much as she could from his postures and words. Her physical makeup and lack of talent made it almost impossible to speak an entire sentence in their language, but after a year of total immersion, she understood a lot more than they suspected.

…**he is—a blooded of songs, a yautja who-wins? Wins many children, has trophies of all and many enemies…**

The leader's respectful tone and the eagerness of his students was impressive, she'd never seen Topknot acknowledge another Hunter as anything other than competent. Whoever was docking had quite a reputation and she decided to stay for his grand entrance.

As the airlock hummed into motion, topknot finally noticed her. He silenced the hissing young males and ignored her completely. Nogoushi was well aware that her presence often complicated matters; she hung back but didn't leave, exercising her rights as a Blooded Hunter and doing as she pleased when not on a hunt. She was surprised when he stepped into view, flanked by two others. He was in front, there was no doubt who was Leader, but he was _young_. The new arrival wore body armor but no mask, the scars across his speckled brow and on his clawed hands were extensive, but from the condition of his tusks and talons, he was no older than an unBlood.

Topknot greeted him, touching his shoulder and calling him by name, a phlegmy rattle. The young worrier returned the gesture, completely at ease, when Nogoushi saw it.

Her vision tunneled, her heart skipping a beat. Without making the appropriate request to approach, without thinking, she stepped forward to see it better, certain that she was mistaken. But, she was not. To the right, flanking the Leader, a darkly tanned human female stood, her face a visage of distaste. Nogoushi frowned and stepped closer and thought, even as she was backhanded by the male, that she was seeing things wrong. The female, maybe in her teens, had black hair that hung around her hips, Plaited in the original "Dread-lock" fashion of the hunters and pinned together with golden clips; her light blue eyes were hard and cold like ice, even as she turned and stared Nogoushi down. Her body was well shaped, littered with scars here and there, and deeply tanned bronze as well as sculpted with rippling muscle. Despite her thin body, her breasts were full and round and she had some meat on her muscle. Obviously she had seen a hunt or two. Nogoushi frowned at her numb arm and looked away from the female, who had turned her head at the scene. She heard a seemingly random clicking, higher pitched than a male, come from the human female as she frowned at the human again. Nogoushi only caught some of the words, one of which she thought to be the Leader's name, the same rattle as before.

…**I am… see a female of my- Kind here…** followed by the name she could not pronounce.

The hunters began to talk a little and she saw the female look up to the young Leader and smile.

_You're not alone, Nogoushi. Look at her._

She frowned and stood silently, wondering if the female knew any English. To her surprise she heard the girl ask if she could speak to her a moment. Nogoushi saw the leader nod and… smile? She was still taken aback by how the girl was treated. She must be very well respected. She was taken even more by surprise when the girl walked up to her and shook her shoulder saying something, a word Nogoushi didn't understand. Seeing her silence, the girl repeated…in English.

"Your name?" she smiled.

"D-Dautoodi." Nogoushi stuttered.

"Da-treyu, of the Third Mark. Pleased to finally meet Dachande's last Blooded." She spoke respectfully after a moment.

"Wait, you have…THREE marks?"

"Yes…" she looked slightly taken aback.

Suddenly, the male walked up behind Da-treyu, put a hand on her shoulder, and spoke softly.

…**we are going…the fighting ring. Come…**

And Da-treyu nodded and turned to leave, she said one last thing, sounding more threatening than Nogoushi had heard in anything.

"I can't wait… for you to fight me."

They turned to leave, her catching up without a sound and falling to the right of the burly Leader and ahead of the other two Hunters.

Da-treyu frowned as she followed her Leader. The other human was skittish and blasphemous. How had Dachande Blooded her? Da-treyu frowned deeper as she continued to walk. The yautja Leader must have been desperate to be remembered. To Blood one human was outrageous, but to Mark two? Unheard of! She growled to herself and stomped unconsciously as they continued to walk. Maybe she was even a little jealous of the other, not that it seemed to be treated very well. Well the human, she guessed was Japanese by her shortness and her eyes, was about in her twenties with shoulder length dread-locked hair and three piercings in her right ear and two in her left. She was stalky and well muscled and had obviously seen a number of fights. Da-treyuende smiled at the thought of fighting the small female. Maybe she'd win and take her kills as her own, for that was the way was it not? You kill a Hunter and you receive his kills as your own. Numbers that was all that really seemed to matter. She frowned at the sudden thought of the girl beating her and taking **her** place in the Clan. The pure image of the small annoying female looking up to her Leader and Hunting with her Clan made Da-treyu's Blood nearly boil and for a second, she almost lost her cool, calm exterior in the cramped hallway. She frowned and looked at the balls of her fists, closing them tighter in her rage. Da-treyuende would fight the human and she would win, or her name didn't mean "Clever Knife"

Her Leader, a young and well respected Blood of Dachande's as well, smiled and leaned down to her level. He sneered at her expression, but when she looked at him, he reared his head back. Her eyes were aglow with fury, the icy blue orbs almost shocking him into stopping. She however, continued to walk as if nothing had happened. Maybe he'd ask to have one of Gr-o'dan's (Topknot's) students to fight her. That might just calm her down. And he smiled at the thought of her flailing around in fury and rage, her silent form swiftly out-doing her opponent. She had never lost a single fight against anything and part of the Leader envied her that. Maybe that was why he liked her so much and had accepted her into the Clan so easily. She was resilient, strong, and hot-headed, not to mention she had trained and mastered almost every fighting style of the humans. She was death in some cases and life in others. He smiled again and was awarded a haughty look from her. Oh, how he loved to watch her eyes glow. She was an alien, but that hardly seemed to matter now.

The Ki'cit'pa, the fighting and training ring to yautja, was filled with young, rowdy males screaming for blood and hate. They didn't care whose. Da-treyu frowned. She had only just gotten out of these rooms, earning her place as a worrier in the Clan, and now she had to folly around in them? She let her gaze slip to her Leader. He strode confidently beside Gr-o'dan, letting his rank shush the males. She allowed herself a small smile of eagerness. These UnBloods had no idea how to fight; they'd offer nothing more than a small exercise and maybe a slight sweat for some. The group stopped at a fighting ring in the center of the room. Da-treyu smiled wider at the memories of her and a ring very similar to this one. She had won many a fight and killed many a yautja on rings like these. A slight pressure on her shoulder knocked her out of her memory. Da-treyu smiled and craned her head to look up at her Leader. He too was smiling.

"**Do you wish to Dance?**" He asked loud enough for everyone to hear.

"**My pleasure.**" Da-treyu smiled and bowed slightly.

She flexed her muscles and stepped forward but stopped at the high walls of the fighting ring. As her opponent stepped up onto the ring, she frowned at her small stature. Some of the males, as well as her opponent on the ring, took it upon themselves to laugh. Suddenly, she felt strong, gentle hands on her hips and she was hefted into the air. Quickly regaining her composure, Da-treyu brought her legs up and stepped onto the ring. The yautja UnBloods were laughing at her disposure and that allowed her a small smile. She looked upon the form of the male in front of her. He was burly and tall like any yautja, but his eyes gave away everything. He was scared, and had good reason to be. Da-treyu smiled, baring her teeth, and crouched low to the ground. A memory flashed, brilliant and distant, across her eyes.

**-**_**The long corridor was tinted red and teeming with alien life, the giant bugs tearing toward them lightening fast.-**_

And the thought was gone in an instant, she watched the student launch at her. She shoved her leg out and her torso to the left, tripping the alien. He hit the mat with a thud and regained his composure too slow. Da-treyu was on him with her writs blades as fast as her first attack had come. The student never had a chance. Da-treyu smiled and bared her teeth yet again as she straddled his hips with her own and rested the blades to his throat. The position looked highly suggestive, but she knew she had won.

"Nain-desintje-da." She growled and clicked at him. The pure win.

The student and all of the UnBloods were silent and only her Leader had the audacity to break the silence with his growling laughter. He nodded his head at her and raised himself up on the mat. Da-treyu knew more than most that he did not want her up yet. She had learned that painfully one day for he treated her as he would any other young Hunter. She had been backhanded and kicked off the 5 foot tall mat. No one had laughed at her nor made a single noise for that matter.

_Get back on track Da-treyu; don't stray from your Path._

Her leader smiled at her and looked down lower at her opponent. He clicked his mandibles in regard and rested his hands on his hips. Da-treyu stifled a laugh, he reminded her of the first time he had ever spoken to her so many years ago.

-_**a much younger Da-treyu frowned from high in the Bodhi tree in which she sat. The alien below her was laughing at the fact that she had dropped her fruit. The group had met her on earth and recognized her as a Blooded of Dachande's. She huffed and crossed her arms, hiding her frustration by closing her eyes. Only a moment later, he swung her fruit into the air and it landed right in her lap. He smiled at her and she growled in return.**_

"_**You think I couldn't have gotten it myself?" She hissed at him.**_

_**He didn't answer for moments. He simply stared and laughed, smiling.**_

"_**You're name is Alonē isn't it **_**human**_**?" the creature growled the last word.**_

"_**I'm surprised that you can even say human, Zabin!" Alonē shouted and turned in the tree.**_

_**The creature laughed at her actions and turned to leave.**_

"_**I out rank you Human. Be happy I take the time to say your name."**_-

Da-treyu was yanked from her memory by her Leader's voice. He frowned at the crowed and then motioned for her to stand. Daftly she nodded and looked up at the ceiling. The room was emptying and Gr-o'dan was again speaking to one of the other Hunters by his side. They seemed to be staring at her. She glared back and huffed a challenging noise at the Leader and his companion.

"**Be calm Da-treyuende. They mean no challenge."** The voice of her Leader broke the angry silence.

"**Forgive me. I was out of place.**" She nodded her head downward in submission.

"**Where may we rest, Gr-o'dan?"** Da-treyu's Leader asked in simple conversation.

It might have slipped any other yautja, but to Da-treyuende's female senses, her Leader was tired and getting a little sick. His temperature through her mask had looked too high even for the normal 109.


	2. With One Mistake Behind

They were lead from the training hall past the showers and to the "mess hall". This must have been the tour that her Leader had wanted. Da-treyu couldn't get the other human female off her mind. The way she had appeared and acted suggested that she was nothing more than a Blooded. But they way she had looked at Da-treyu also spoke of loneliness and hatred. Perhaps there had even been a hint of challenge in there?

"These are your rooms you make take the entire hall if you wish." Gr-o'dan nodded for them to take their leave.

Swiftly he turned on his heel and strode from the hallway as if any second a Hard Meat was going to come running at his heels. The thought of the Leader running from her made Da-treyu smile a little down her nose.

The room she had chosen was much like any Blooded's room, if they were lucky to get a solitary room. The ceiling, walls, and floor were an oddly cool metal. The only furnishings consisted of a metal bed and a desk with a small computer table linked to it. Da-treyu looked first to the computer, she didn't want anyone looking or hearing her while she was forced to stay here. Checking the log and files on the empty com, she noticed nothing that could or would indicate a _Gkinmara_ in her room. Da-treyu sighed as she finally took her time to look to the bed. There were no sheets for it, or a blanket to go on top of her while she slept. She wasn't surprised. Blooded were treated only one _nok_ higher than any unBlood and a human was treated even worse no matter her rank. With a heavy thud due to her armor, Da-treyu thumped onto the rickety bed and relaxed for a while. Every muscle on her begged for relaxation, not from the fight in the Kehrite, but from the weeks of relentless training and Hunts her Leader had taken her and the group on. Slowly her eyes lowered and as she gave in to her body, Da-treyu smiled.

-**the alien was right there. She could tell that he was there though her eyes were not open and she was barely conscious. Tick skin straps of what must have been animal hide bound her midsection and arms. She was a runaway to a tribe and had stupidly rescued this creature. But that had been days before her capture. Now the alien was sneaking in, beginning to unlatch the restraints around her limbs…-**

Da-treyu jerked upright, unlatching her Ki'cti-pa in surprise. The face in front of her gurgled a surprise and jumped backwards swiftly and silently. There was only one person as fast as her. It took Da-treyu a few moments for her eyes to adjust and for the adrenaline to run from her system. As soon as they focused, her cheeks flushed with a bright red. She had attacked her Leader! Swiftly she hit the floor on her knees and apologized over and over.

"**Leader forgive me I was-**" She bent as low as her tense muscles would allow.

"**Asleep, I know. I watched you for nearly an hour. You toss too much, better watch that**."

"**What Leader?**" she was surprised that he had said something like that, and that he had watched.

"**And what kind of self-respecting Hunter falls asleep in her Awu'asa? I'm surprised at your lack of discipline.**" Her Leader shook his head in apparent disgust.

"**Forgive me Leader. I did not think**." She bowed lower.

"**Right. So you little Naxa, what did you dream of? You were speaking quite a bit**." The only thing to sit on was the bed, and so that was what he did.

"**I **_**talked**_**?**" she was heartily embarrassed.

"**Yes, something about Dachande and the Kiende Amedha. I did not record it."** He seemed to regret that he had not.

"**Thank a Paya**." She sighed and shook her head, rising from her crouched bow. "**I was dreaming of when Dachande blooded and rescued me, of when I became a Hunter**."

There was an odd silence in the room that marked the occasion. It was broken by the creaking of Da-treyu's bed under her Leader's weight. He laughed a little and knew exactly what she was thinking. _You old fatty. _But she did not say it and merited a little credit for her restraint.

"**This place is a Te'dqi compared to the room they gave Me**." he looked around for a moment and then back to Da-treyu.

She was glaring at him with a look that said 'I'm not as good as you'. He had to hold back a laugh at the glare he received from her. There was an unspoken bond between the huntress and hunter Leader. For a few moments, that bond shouted in the silence and allowed both the aliens to appreciate the one bloody thing that kept them together, Hunting. Da-treyu smiled impishly and shook her head.

"**I'm going to the rings. I need to blow some energy**." Abruptly she grabbed her mask and turned from the room, the door opening with a slight hiss.

The air in the room seemed to smell a little different. The Leader removed his mask and deeply inhaled, her scent littered the room in an odd way. He was reminded of how he had met her and of how he had come to like her. His thoughts drifted to the other human, the one that wanted to touch his armor. He snorted at the thought that the other human had the right to touch anyone's armor. He had noticed that she had only one mark and it looked as if she had the hand-me-down of the Hunter's, armor and braid-work in her hair. With the thought of her and Da-treyu in the rings together, he too went to "let off some energy". With a huff, he strode from the room.

The halls of the ship were unusually bare, probably from discipline maneuvers. It was common for the unruly Yautja pup to have to clean the walls in a ship; Da-treyu had been made to do it a few times herself.

The Leader walked with a brisk pace toward the rings. He registered his own temperature on his helmet and decided that it might be better if he just watched. A Corelian Ruk Bug had bitten him and probably transmitted a sickness as they were notorious for doing. He hadn't felt well since the night Hunt on Corelia. Ignoring the guttural greetings and sighs of shock from the Hunters he passed, the Leader reached the Ki'cit'pa quickly. He allowed the doors to open slowly and as they did, he roared. Five Blooded Hunters fought high on the mat against Da-treyu. She was bleeding and had a carving knife stuck in her upper thigh, but for all of her apparent pain she seemed to ignore her injuries. The Unblood from before was sneering at her hurt from the bottom of the mat. When he saw that the Leader had arrived, he quickly made himself humble and small. The Leader growled for the fight to stop and as soon as they looked up to confront him, Da-treyu launched herself off the ground and spun towards her opponents.

Da-treyu rammed her torso into one and allowed the momentum to carry her towards her second target. As she neared the second, Da-treyu spun and slammed her heel into the second Blooded's face. Both fell out of the ring with heavy thuds. For only a second she waited for them to get up, they didn't. Turning on her third and forth victims, Da-treyu ignored another request from her Leader to stop the fight. He was fuming now, angrier at the dishonor she was giving him. She yanked the knife from her thigh with a sickening sucking sound and threw it at the Blooded's face. It skimmed him, lopping off most of his dreadlocks and slicing through his cheek. With a horrid cry, Da-treyu launched herself again and landed a solid open-palm punch to his chest. He spat up blood and toppled to the ground with a cracking noise. She had broken one or more of his ribs. With only two left to go, Da-treyu spun around and faced them. She couldn't see anything except their faces and the blue that seemed to fade everything else out. As she tensed and crouched something from behind whipped around her waist, yanking her roughly from the platform. With a heavy painful thud, Da-treyu landed on her heels and turned to face her foe only to be met with a dozen or so elder yautja and her Leader. Her rage quickly faded at the sight of her Leader's anger. He snorted and backhanded her roughly across the floor. When she landed, she didn't bother to get up. For moments, he stood and she could feel the beating coming. Da-treyu hadn't stepped out of line in a while, but when she did, she made sure to do it thoroughly. Her Leader roared thunderously and grabbed her by the back of her mesh netting; she didn't deserve to be picked up by her skin. He dragged her out of the ring in an embarrassing state, leaving behind a crowd of astonished and slightly frightened Hunters. In the hall way, her Leader didn't let her up as she had thought. She struggled to get up and he smashed her in the back of the head to calm her struggling. Dizzy and in an intense amount of pain, Da-treyu allowed her Leader to drag her back to her quarters.

The room seemed even duller than before to Da-treyu. She dropped to the floor when her Leader let go of her meshing and curled into a fetal position. With her head between her knees, Da-treyu awaited the pain that usually came with angering her Leader. To her surprise, he walked out of the room and let the door close. Da-treyu sat up on her knees and ignored the wave of nausea that plagued her every movement. She heard a coughing outside her door and then heavy footsteps away. With a shameful heart, Da-treyu knew she had screwed up. He was sick and she had made him stress himself out. She rushed to the bathroom when a particular wave of nausea hit her hard and stuck her head in the toilet bowl.

She was still lying there when her Leader returned, whip in hand. When he looked around the room, saw her in the bathroom sick and hurt, it was hard for him to beat her. He simply watched her retch into the bowl and tear up at the pain from her leg. The Leader was never easier on her than any other Hunter under his command, but something in his gut told him that she was more hurt than she let off. When she looked up, he saw the slight tinge of fear in her eyes that always came about when he was angered at her. She stood, shaking, and walked wobbly to her bed. Without a word, she lay on her stomach and slid the mesh netting and armor from her shoulders. Her Leader saw the horrid scars from other Leaders and griped his whip tighter. The first lash only reddened the skin. The second broke the membrane; the third opened the wound further. It hurt him to have to hurt her like he was, but he had to show the ship that he did not appreciate being ignored.

With each successive lashing, Da-treyu was forced to ignore the pain and keep her mouth shut. Her vision blurred and she let out a whimper only once. When she did, the lashings came harder and stronger. She settled to counting the times the whip cracked against her skin. _Thirty six, thirty seven, thirty eight… _when she reached forty, her Leader stopped. By then of course, she couldn't move or speak. Da-treyu was only barely conscious. She looked upward as her Leader moved his hand to her shoulder to flip her on her back.

The Leader stopped at 40 and let the bloody whip fall to the ground. His strength was failing him, he needed to rest. He paused at Da-treyu's lack of movement. When he turned her over on her back, the Leader saw her eyes were faded and she looked a little too far off. In a slight panic, he lifted her off the bed and held her as far away from himself as he could. Her blood seeped down his tunic and armor, leaving him feeling dirty and stained. The Leader lifted her into his arms and prepared his strength to carry her to his ship's medic bay. This ship's medics weren't used to human anatomy and he had a special Huntress in mind to help fix Da-treyu. With a grunt, he lifted her and himself from the bed. The Leader only made it a few pained steps before he knew something was terribly wrong. His vision blurred and he watched as the floor came up to meet him. With a very heavy thud, the Leader dropped Da-treyu and himself to the cold metal floor. He shook his head and attempted to stand back up only to lose his balance to the dizziness that engulfed him. The Leader quickly closed his eyes to avoid retching on Da-treyu's flooring. He lay as still as he could as seconds crept into minutes and time blended into nothing.

Da-treyu knew he was weak but when her Leader dropped her to the ground, she knew something was terribly wrong. She lifted her upper torso off the ground; her arms shaking with the exertion it took, and gazed over at her Leader. He wasn't moving much, only twitching to make himself more comfortable on the floor. When Da-treyu finally stood, he was unconscious. She walked steadily over to him, ignoring her fatigue and the lancing pain from her back. She gazed down at her inspiration for strength and bent to pick his right arm up. It took her a full hour or more to get her Leader into her bed. She ripped the sheets off; they had been covered in blood. The Huntress shook the pain off and walked into the bathroom to fill a glass with water. As she walked back to his bed, spilling water every now and then, Da-treyu smiled a little when he opened his eyes. She sat on the side of the cot and flipped the cup for him to drink. She didn't realize just how dehydrated he had been. It took two full glasses to slake his thirst. He looked up at her and shook his head.

"**Leader, that bug really got you didn't it?**" Da-treyu spoke softly for fear he had a headache.

"**My name is Meshinga. In private, you… call me… Meshinga.**" He sounded gruff.

"**But you rank…**" Da-treyu was hesitant.

"**I do not care about rank!**" it took a lot of energy for him to shout.

"**Meshinga, why are you so stubborn?**" Da-treyu almost had to laugh.

"**Because I can be. I am…stronger than this.**"

Da-treyu simply looked to the far wall. There was a bang against the metal of the door and Da-treyu stood shakily. She shook her head and walked toward the door. It opened too fast for her to hide her Leader's weakness. The female that stepped through was easily nine feet tall and weighed 400 LBS. she shook her head angrily and nearly pushed Da-treyu out of the way to get the her Leader. The female was someone that Da-treyuende knew well, the Leader of the medical staff at Meshinga's ship. The human shut the door and followed the female across the room.

"**You are irresponsible as usual.**" The Female spoke.

"**I am a Leader. I will do as I wish, He-iraka.**" Meshinga smiled through his pain.

"**And why did you not stop him? He listens to you more than anyone else in this Clan.**" He-iraka growled at Da-treyu.

"**I…was too busy screwing up?**" Da-treyu frowned.

All He-iraka did was growl. She turned her attention back to Meshinga and almost threw him over her shoulder. With heavy steps, the giant female motioned for Da-treyu to follow her to the home ship.

"**Why** **is it that I sleep in the med bay more than in my own bed on this ship?**" Da-treyu shook her head.

She sat on a medical table five feet off the ground in an oddly clean silver room. Next to her, to her right, was her Leader lying on a sleek bed. He had numerous tubes and needled stuck in him as he had been knocked out a few hours ago. Right now, He-iraka was bandaging up Da-treyu's back.

"**Because, like all Oomans, you are reckless, and you do not think.**"

"**I won't argue with you there. But well…that's just part of my charm.**" Da-treyu craned her head back and looked at He-iraka.

"**It may be the one reason he likes you too.**" He-iraka brought up.

"**Ugh. You know I don't like talking about this.**" Da-treyu frowned.

"**Well, we all do things we do not like.**" He-iraka shook her massive head.

"**Things would be easier if…**" Da-treyu looked toward the bed, but not at it.

"**If what?**" He-iraka finished the last bandage tightly.

"**If I were not Ooman.**" Da-treyu whispered to the floor.

"**Like you said, pup, it is all part of your alien charm. Well, that and the fact that you can keep up with our race.**" He-Iraka smiled cleaned the blood from her table.

"**Heh. It's not the keeping up I need to work on. I am…well look at me!**" Da-treyu jumped down from the table and turned to look at the giant female.

"**Da-treyuende, I see a pale yautja with very, very long black dreadlocks. A see a worrier with three marks, unheard of for a female, and enough scars and talent to rival the Leader of this ship.**" He-iraka put a hand on Da-treyu's shoulder.

"**Do not compare me to him, we are nothing alike. I am not worth the dirt on his feet.**"Da-treyu shook the hand off with a harsh nod.

"**You are worth more to him than you think. Why do you think he insists you call him Meshinga in private?**" He-iraka hissed through her teeth.

"**Because the simple thought of his name makes me shiver and he likes it.**" Da-treyu frowned and turned toward the door, inching her way closer.

"**Shiver with what? Lust? Joy? Hatred?**" He-iraka smiled widely in mischief.

"**What? Lust? Joy? How could I look at him with thoughts of those…no, I am not as worthy as you promise!**" and with that Da-treyu swiftly danced out the med bay door.

The metal of the door hissed shut and for a moment, He-iraka simply stood there. She shook her long locks and tapped her bottom teeth together in frustration. How was it that the human couldn't see what she could?

"**You are more than you think, Ooman.**"

Before Da-treyu noticed she had been walking, the fighting rings of Grodan's ship were in front of her. Five Unbloods stood either on or around the rings practicing or sparring. Most of the Hunters on this ship seemed to be in their late Unblood stage or already Blooded. Da-treyu ignored the males; walking directly toward the Ooman, she had seen earlier. For a moment she panicked, remembering the events following their meeting as well as the anger involved. Da-treyu shook her locks and shrugged off her anger. She met the lowly human woman.

"It's been a while since I have seen another human live like me." Da-treyu opened up the conversation in English.

"Live like you? Hardly." Dahdtoudi huffed and crossed her arms.

"You're alive aren't you?" Da-treyu cast a wary eye.

"Alive has more than one meaning. My heart beats, but my soul is dead."

"Dachande…what was he thinking Blooding two humans?"

"Was that his name? I called him Broken Tusk."

"For his broken fang? Ha."

"What does Dachande mean?"

"It means, almost literally, Different Knife."

"So…what they call me is close to that…" Dahdtoudi eyed Da-treyu.

"Dautoodi, actually pronounced Dahdtoudi, is the feminine term for Little Knife."

"I was pronouncing it wrong the whole time?"

"Yea, which means that the Yautja were screwing with you when they pronounced it wrong too." Da-treyu laughed.

There was an awkward silence. The Yautja males in one corner of the room hustles together and whispered. From what Da-treyu could make out, they were whispering about fighting. It was illegal for Unbloods to fight in the rings without a Blooded to watch them. It was well known that Unbloods were young and stupidly hormonal. The silence was forboding.

"This is this the awkward moment where we gauge each other's sanity." Da-tryeu smiled.

"You're not going to eat me." Dahdtoudi spoke.

"Not going to slit my throat in my sleep." Da-treyu narrowed her eyes.

"Not going to steal my honor." Dahdtoudi frowned.

"Especially the honor." Da-treyu smiled.

There was a small moment of silence.

"You like to fight?" Da-treyu looked toward the ring in front of them.

"Yes."

"Like to watch it too?"

"Yep."

Da-treyu turned to the group of Unbloods and whistled. They whirled around, their ears pounding from the shrill noise. She motioned and spoke to them to come. They obliged only after she made a noise she had copied from her Leader when he was angry.

"**What are your names you two?**" Da-treyu pointed at two of the group, the largest and the smallest.

"Ra-kair." The largest spoke confidently.

"Ex-aul'a" the smallest did not lack confidence either. It must have been a Yautja thing.

"You two are to fight each other in a match of** Jehdin/Jehdin.**" Da-treyu held a perfect authority.

Without another word, the two jumped into the ring, obviously ready and willing. Da-treyu looked to Dautoodi and smiled a human smiled. She looked like any other human teenager ready to cause some mischief. With a growl, Da-treyu started the fight.

The two danced like water and fire, one clumsy and sloshy, the other fast and overbearing. But neither won. Da-treyu shook her head and watched them continue to fight as if they had never been taught anything. Ra-kair threw his leg at Ex-aul'a and the smaller male ducked out of the way, throwing a punch to distract the larger male. It worked. He was hit in the mandibles and thrown backward onto his ass.

* * *

Everyone that took the time to read this, please respond and give me some constructive criticism and tell me what you think! should I continue this story or not?

~Divalier


End file.
